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Support Birmingham Museums

On 7 December, as part of Birmingham City Council’s budget consultation, it has been proposed that Birmingham Museums Trust will receive a reduction of £500k in funding from April 2017.

We need your support

Help us reduce the proposed cut to our budget by signing and sharing our online petition. Please use the hashtag #SupportBhamMuseums

The proposed budget cuts to the Trust’s funding could result in:

A substantial reduction in public access to some of our museums, which include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Thinktank Science Museum, Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Sarehole Mill, Soho House and Weoley Castle.

Fewer learning activities for students, local schools and community groups

Significantly reduced public access to Birmingham’s collection for both research and public enjoyment, either in the city or through outward loans

Reduced capacity to deliver projects alone or in partnership.

A little bit about us... Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) is a registered charity, set up in 2012. We care for the city’s internationally important museum collection, attracting over 1.2 million visits a year. BMT is a dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation, raising 60% of its own income to provide services to the citizens of Birmingham and visitors to the city. We combine artistic and academic excellence with a profound commitment to learning and engagement with Birmingham’s diverse communities. In the last year:

1.2m people have visited one of our nine museum sites.

225,000 people have taken parts in events and activities from object handling, to community-led festivals, science busking, interactive story-telling and art classes.

Over 110,000 local school children have expanded their knowledge of art, history, science and technology through engagement with Birmingham’s collections.

Over 700 volunteers have contributed 23,000 hours of their time.

We have engaged with over 65 community organisations and 140 STEM professionals.

Each visit to one of Birmingham Museums' sites is worth around £30 to local businesses, with an annual economic value of £30m.

We recognise that this is a difficult time for the Birmingham City Council. However, we believe that it is vital that Birmingham’s museums should continue to receive the funding they need to survive and thrive and continue their valuable contribution to the city of Birmingham.